The indictment stated, in part:NAGIN, knowingly devised and intended to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud the City of New Orleans and its citizens of his honest services through a bribery and kickback scheme, whereby Mayor Nagin used his public office and his official capacity to provide favorable treatment that benefitted [sic] the business and financial interests of individuals providing him with bribery/kickback payoffs in the form of checks, cash, granite inventory, wire transfers, personal services, and free travel.

Prosecutors introduced a string of businessmen as witnesses. The value of bribes and kickbacks was alleged to be in excess of $500,000, starting from even before Hurricane Katrina. The defense was not able to successfully challenge the witnesses. Nagin’s defense on the witness stand was described as a “belly flop” because he claimed to be unable to remember who paid for trips or perks.

He faces a sentence of more than 20 years in Federal prison. There is no parole in the Federal criminal justice system.

Nagin’s lawyer said they plan to appeal.

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Claude Werner is a retired US Army officer. He has a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of City Planning from Georgia Tech. He was formerly the National Director of Real Estate Research for the accounting/consulting firm Deloitte.